EVOLVE

Writings, experiences and connected events for the evolution of mind, body and soul.

The Infomorph And The Uniblab

by Jules Attworth

In a 1962 episode of The Jetsons animated cartoon series, George Jetson is passed over for a promotion to Office Supervisor because it goes to Uniblab, a mobile, all-purpose, AI computer. Uniblab is sycophantic, obnoxious, and gets George fired.

One of George’s friends gets him re-hired by sabotaging Uniblab. And yes, it is as entertaining as it sounds, but also precautionary beyond mere computer-generated words. The theme of artificial intelligence and the survival of the most cognitively fit has only increased in importance since the advent of the modern computer.

It’s not necessary to describe the Jetson’s scenario—with the atypical fictional robot zipping around the room to great comic effect—in order to understand the urgency of the problem. You simply need to look across your workplace, library, city streets and cafes to see examples of the Uniblab in training.

The downloading of identical knowledge—culled, abbreviated and edited—is happening at a pace that is scaring the perma-press trousers off of many of our most celebrated tech gurus. A legion of young, answers-at-the-fingertips, perfectly groomed and etiquettely polished workers are smiling a stainless steel path toward your slovenly cubicle and your obsolete human database. They are casual, charming and fully programmed not to experience any remorse about your bleak future.

The information has morphed.

Jules Attworth makes no claims as a writer, but holds many varied opinions. Understand, these are just opinions and may be entirely right, wrong or partially either.